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Black Rat

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Rattus rattus

Description

laughing kookaburra

The Black Rat (Rattus rattus), in contradiction to its name, is not really black but rather ranges from black, brown to grey in colouration with a white/cream belly.  A typical adult measures 12.75 to 18.25 cm in length, which does not include their 15 to 22 cm long tail.  Black rats can be easily confused with other native marsupials but can be distinguished from them by their long pointed head, thin ears over 2cm long and a very long scaly tail, much longer than the length of their head and body. They are most active during dawn and dusk (crepuscular) and also at night (nocturnal).  

They are an introduced species originating from Europe recently, but may have originated historically from Malaysia, and have become a serious pest in many countries around the world including Australia. Black Rats are a major threat to many natural habitats because they feed on native birds and insects and also reduce food availability to other native species.

Black rats build nests of shredded materials and are a prolific breeder all year round. Female rats can produce litters of five to ten offspring and may have up to six litters per year. The young are born without eyesight but develop very quickly and are independent after 20 days. Black rat populations can increase rapidly in conditions when there is a large supply of food available.

The Black Rat is distributed world-wide on all continents except for Antarctica.  They prefer to live in the urban environment and particularly like to inhabit the roofs, walls, trees, riverbanks, sewers, drains or burrows around buildings.  This species of rat are also often found in undisturbed woodland and forests near the coast.

Adaptations

  • Generalist feeders and can alter diet depending on food availability
  • Agile and fast climbers to evade predators
  • Keen sense of hearing to identify presence of predators
  • No breeding season, can breed all year round
  • Live in broad range of habitats

Feeding relationships

  • What I eat: birds, seeds, fruit, stems, leaves, fungi, and a variety of invertebrates and vertebrates 
  • What eats me: Boobook owl, Tawny frogmouth, carpet pythons, kookaburra, raptors, cats, dogs and foxes

Interesting facts

The black rat was most likely introduced to Australia when it arrived in Sydney with the First Fleet in 1788.


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Last reviewed 11 May 2020
Last updated 11 May 2020